Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Boy Meets Boy
Pros
- Positive queer representation
- Minimal homophobic plot elements
- Light and happy read
Cons
- Slightly outdated terminology
- Reliance on romance
Title: Boy Meets Boy
Author: David Levithan
Original Publication Date: September 1, 2003
Original Publisher: Knopf
Page Length: 185
Queer Representation: Gay male protagonist, multiple lesbian, bi, trans, queer + secondary characters
Levithan offers readers a hopeful look into a utopian world where being queer is not only normal, but may even be better than being straight.
Memorable Quote: “I find my greatest strength in wanting to be strong. I find my greatest bravery in deciding to be brave. I don’t know if I’ve ever realized it before,[…] I think we both realize it now. If there’s no feeling of fear, then there’s no need for courage.”
The idea of this story is simple. It is a queer twist on the classic “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back” narrative, but the result is something so much greater. Imagine a world where cheerleaders ride Harleys and the captain of the football team is also the homecoming queen, who is a drag queen named Infinite Darlene. This is the world that Paul lives in, a world that most queers can only dream of. Paul has known he was gay since kindergarten and embraced his sexuality in order to become the first openly gay third-grade class president and start a gay-straight alliance to teach the straight guys how to dance.
The main plot of the story revolves around Paul’s budding romance with new kid in town Noah. When problems with Paul’s ex cause Noah to push away, Paul struggles to find a way to win him back. Yet, this is just one of many simultaneous story-lines that Levithan so intricately weaves together. Paul also must figure out how to handle problems with ex-boyfriend, his best friend’s new boyfriend, and planning the school’s annual Dowager Dance. The end result is a beautiful tale of teenage love and friendship and what can happen when queer kids do not have to spend time worrying about their sexuality.
Yet, in perhaps one of Levithan’s most cunning moves, he makes is clear that Paul’s town is unique. Paul’s friend Tony does not live far from Paul but he does seem to live in the real world. While Paul is busy chasing Noah and planning the dance, Tony must deal with coming out to his religious parents. The juxtaposition of these two towns shows that the world Paul lives in is not a fantasy, but a reality worth working towards. While this is the first of many queer young adult books by Levithan, it stands out as one of his finest.
